Cruel To Be Kind
by MissFeral
Summary: It's Christmas and somebody has to bring presents to the children at the hospital but Ponch refuses to dress as Santa Claus. He quickly comes to regret being so haughty.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: This story is my Christmas present to that legendary author of CHiPs, lifelong fan of a certain Puerto Rican patrol officer, and a great friend, Ponchygirl.**

The date was December 23. It was a Friday night. The police station was cheerily decorated with evergreen garlands, wreaths, twinkling lights, sleigh bells, and miniature Christmas trees. Sergeant Getraer was sitting in his office, watching the weather report on TV. The weatherman promised ten to twelve inches of snow to fall that evening. Getraer grew worried. Earlier that day, he arranged for one of his officers to go over to the hospital and entertain the youngsters who weren't fortunate enough to be at home for Christmas.

Meanwhile, Bonnie was trying to get Ponch into a Santa Claus costume.

"No," he said, "I'm not wearing that. I'll look like a fat fool!"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "No, you won't. Everybody loves Santa Claus, Ponch."

"Well, I don't like him," Ponch said, "I'm always on his 'naughty list'."

"Do it for the sick and injured children who can't be with their families for Christmas," Bonnie said, staring right into his bottomless brown eyes.

"Don't look at me that way, Bon-Bon."

"Will you be Santa Claus?"

Ponch considered the idea. He imagined what he would look like marching down the hallways, donned in a fat, red suit and a white beard, dragging around a heavy bag of presents. He pictured the giggling nurses and staff. He thought about the ribbing he would get from his fellow patrol officers. "Where's _my_ present, Ponchy Claus?" they would say.

"I can't do it, Bon-Bon," Ponch said, slightly ashamed. "I wish I could."

"Fine," Bonnie said, "I guess _I'll_ have to be Santa Claus then."

Ponch's eyes widened. "You?"

"There's no reason why I can't." With that, Bonnie went into a back room with the costume and made a quick change.

She came out wearing the full suit…fat red coat, thick white beard, and tall black boots. Little strands of her golden hair stuck out from the red hat.

Ponch smirked as he eyed her up and down. "You're the prettiest Santa I ever saw."

"Never mind that," Bonnie said, as she began stuffing a burlap sack with colorfully wrapped presents for the children. "Will you drive me to the hospital, Ponch?"

"Sure thing," he replied, "It's the least I can do."

"You got that right."

Moments later, Ponch and Bonnie were on their way. Ponch was driving and Bonnie was in the passenger seat. The large sack of presents was in the trunk. They listened to cheerful Christmas songs on the radio as they inched along in the holiday traffic. Along the way, Ponch stopped at MacDonalds for dinner. He order a hamburger and fries and then asked Bonnie if she wanted anything. "Just a black coffee," she replied.

As they pulled back onto the highway, the traffic eased up and they were able to drive a little faster. Snow was falling steadily and the roads were caked with white powder. It was pitch black outside now. The only source of light was the high beams on the car.

"Ya know, fast food is the worst thing in the world for you, but it's also the best tasting," Ponch spoke with his mouth full.

The song 'Away in a Manager' came on the radio.

Bonnie sipped her hot coffee and listened to the soft Christmas carol.

 _Away in a manger_ _, no crib for a bed,_

 _The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head._

 _The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,_

 _The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay…_

"Sometimes I order chicken nuggets but I try not to find out what's in them," Ponch continued, chewing. "It's best not to know things like that, you know what I'm saying? Do you want some hamburger?" He extended the burger towards her and dribbled ketchup and mustard on her lap.

"Keep that away or you'll stain my outfit."

"The kids won't mind," Ponch assured her. "All they care about is getting loot. Are you sure you're not hungry?"

"I'll be fine. Just keep your eyes on the road."

Ponch chomped down on his juicy burger and used one hand to hold the steering wheel.

 _Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay_

 _Close by me for ever, and love me, I pray._

 _Bless all the dear children in your tender care,_

 _And fit us for heaven, to live with you there._

"PONCH, LOOK OUT!"

A deer ran across the road and Ponch grabbed the wheel with both hands and swerved out of the way. The car spun out of control on the icy road and went tumbling off the highway, landing in a ditch with a thunderous crash.

Blackout.

Ponch woke up to horrible pain in his right arm. He tried to move it but it hurt too much. He opened his eyes and looked around. Red and blue lights were everywhere. Police cars and ambulances had come to their rescue. He was lying on the dirt and being attended to by an EMT.

"Wh-What happened? I...I must have crashed."

The EMT ignored his words and continued his work.

Ponch looked up and saw Bonnie being carried away on a stretcher by ambulance attendants.

"OH NO! Oh, crap! Bonnie! Is she alright?! Where are they taking her?! Tell me where they're taking her! I have to see her now! I have to see her!" Ponch shouted, trying frantically to sit up.

"Snap out of it!" yelled the EMT as he slapped Ponch's already bruised face.

"OW!" Ponch cried, grabbing his cheeks and falling down on his back. "This…this mess is all my fault. I was the one driving. I was the one who refused to be Santa Claus. I should have been Santa Claus…I should have done it as a favor to her. But I was too proud. I was too selfish. And now she's hurt and it's all because of me. I'm not a man. I'm a worm."

"I agree," said the EMT.

Ponch and Bonnie were both taken to the hospital…ironically, the same hospital that they had been driving to when they crashed. They were put in separate ambulances so Ponch still didn't know how badly she had been injured. She looked unconscious when he saw her on the stretcher. Ponch wanted to throw himself in a lake, but he knew that would be impossible because all the lakes were frozen this time of year. All he could do was sit in the ambulance and let the EMT bandage his broken arm. Ponch kept asking about Bonnie but the EMT ignored his questions. Ponch received no support or encouragement from any of the attendants on the ambulance. His guilt consumed him and made him nauseous. He wanted to call Jon but he couldn't do that until he arrived at the hospital. This evening had become a nightmare.


	2. Chapter 2

At the hospital, Ponch was checked in quickly and then abandoned in chilly room with a bed, a TV, and a dresser stand. He had to wait an hour before a doctor came in to set his fractured arm and put it in a cast. Ponch asked him how Bonnie was doing but the doctor said he didn't know. Then the doctor left the room without so much as a 'Merry Christmas'.

Then an elderly nurse came in and gave Ponch an ice pack for his bruises.

"Thanks," he said, applying the ice to his busted cheek. "I…uh, don't suppose you know anything about Bonnie?"

"Who the hell is Bonnie?"

"The lady I came in with. She was wearing a Santa costume."

"Oh, right. Yeah, I saw her…Your wife?"

"No…friend," Ponch said, "Will she be alright?"

"I don't know," the nurse said, pulling a hospital gown from the drawer. "She looked pretty damn bad when I saw her…blood was running down her face and everything. I think her head really took a beating when you drove off that bridge."

"I didn't drive off a bridge!" Ponch yelled, "You make it sound like I wrecked the car on purpose!"

The nurse shrugged. "It happens all the time."

Ponch's anger was growing fast. "You don't know what you're talking about! Now answer me one question…will Bonnie be okay?"

"How the hell should I know?!" shouted the nurse. "I'm not a doctor."

"I'll say you're not," Ponch snapped.

The nurse threw the hospital gown on the bed in front of Ponch. "Put on that gown before I wrap around your neck and hang you with it. And don't even think about pissing on that bed or I'll break the only good arm you have left," she explained, harshly.

Ponch couldn't believe his ears. "You can't talk to me like that."

"Oh no?" she said, getting in his face. "Well, I have a tag with my name on it that says I'm nurse and that means I can get away with anything that the public doesn't know about."

"They'll find out if I report you!"

The nurse just laughed and walked out of the room, leaving Ponch stunned.

"Nurse…what a joke," he grumbled as he undressed and put on the hospital gown. "What is with these people? Don't they know it's almost Christmas? Where's their holiday spirit?"

Then he sat down on the bed and picked up the telephone. He called Jon and told him about what happened. Jon rushed over to the hospital as soon as he heard. Ponch then explained to him how he refused to play Santa Claus and how Bonnie had taken over the role. He told him about how it was his fault they got into an accident.

"I was cruel," Ponch said, on the verge of tears. "Bonnie told me to do it for children but I was too worried about how I would look. She had to play Santa herself and that's entirely the reason she got into my car in the first place. If I had done what Bonnie asked, she wouldn't be dying right now."

"What makes you think she's dying?" asked Jon, softly.

"I just know she must be…the nurse told me how bad she looked. She was bleeding from her head. I didn't see much of her…but all I know is that she's critically injured and it's my fault. I'm the one to blame. I'm a selfish ass and I shouldn't be given treatment for my broken arm."

"Don't talk that way, Ponch. It's a snowy night and the roads are in bad condition. It was just an accident and there's nothing you can do to change it now. Just don't lose hope."

Ponch was silent for a moment. "Do you think they'll let me see her?"

"I doubt it," Jon muttered. "But I'll talk to the doc…maybe he can arrange something."

"Thanks for coming, partner."

"No problem."

Ponch waited alone in his room for a long time, waiting for Jon to return. Finally, Jon came back in and shook his head. "Not tonight, Ponch. Wait until tomorrow and then we can visit her."

"She's not dead, is she?"

"No, the doc says she'll make it but she has a concussion."

Ponch lowered his head in shame.

"Don't be sad, Ponch. We can see her tomorrow."

Ponch lay down on the bed and shivered. Why did this room have to be kept so cold? He wrapped the blankets around himself. _At least the blankets are warm,_ he thought.

Jon pulled up a chair and so he could sit at Ponch's bedside.

"You don't have to stay with me, partner," Ponch said, weakly.

"Of course I have to," Jon replied, "I can't leave you alone now. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve."

"What time is it now?"

Jon glanced at his watch. "10:45 pm."


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Ponch and Jon went to see Bonnie in her room. But she was sleeping and didn't acknowledge their presence. The top of her head was covered in white bandages. The doctor only let them stay for a few minutes and then kicked them out. As they were leaving, Ponch got an idea.

"Hey, doc? What did you do with the Santa Claus costume that Bonnie was wearing?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Can I borrow it?" Ponch asked, eagerly.

"I suppose…"

"What are you going to do, Ponch?" asked Jon.

Ponch smiled at him. "I'm going to make it up to Bonnie."

 _Meanwhile…_

Three young children who shared a room were sitting quietly and feeling very bored. The oldest was eleven years old. His name was Jack Parkinson. He had dark brown hair and expressive dark eyes. He was very pale and thin. He had been in the hospital for two weeks because of food poisoning. Happily, he was on the verge of recovery and wasn't in so much pain anymore.

The second child was a little girl named Ciara Murphy. She was of Irish heritage and had pale skin, lots of freckles, and long scarlet curls. She was in the hospital because of pneumonia. She arrived at the hospital only a few days ago. She was eight years old.

The youngest was named Antonio Martinez and he was five years old. He was in the hospital for a broken leg. He broke it while trying to stand on ball…like he saw the clowns do at the circus. He had black hair, big brown eyes, and deeply tanned skin. He looked like a baby version of Frank Poncherello.

"Hello, everyone," said a young nurse, who came in to take their vitals.

"When will Santa get here?" Antonio asked her.

"He should be here soon," the nurse said, putting a thermometer in his mouth.

"He's not really coming, is he?" Jack inquired.

"He will, Jack. You wait and see."

"Miss Peters? I don't want to stay here anymore. When can I go home?" asked Ciara, eagerly.

"When you're feeling better."

"I feel fine now," Ciara said, right before she burst into a fit of coughing.

Miss Peters patted her back. "I hope you all get to go home as soon as possible. But that's for the doctor to decide. However, you will still have a great Christmas."

"How can we have Christmas with no presents and no tree?" asked Jack, frowning.

"Santa will come here. I promise you that." With that, Miss Peters finished taking their vitals and hurried out of the room…hoping, somehow, to find a Santa Claus.

 _Meanwhile…_

"Does this red suit make me look fat?" Ponch asked.

"Yes," Jon replied, smirking.

"Gosh, I hope the kids here still believe in Santa Claus."

"I'm sure most of them do," Jon chuckled.

"Is my beard on straight?"

"Yep, you look fine."

"How about this darn hat? Is it covering my hair?"

"Yes, you look great. Now stop worrying, Ponch. Starting practicing."

Ponch cleared his throat. "Ho Ho Ho…Wait, why the heck does he laugh like that anyway?"

"How should I know? It's traditional. Now do it again."

Ponch laughed like Santa again and gave a jolly 'Merry Christmas'.

Jon smiled and glanced down at Ponch's arm which was still in a cast. "Hey, how are you going to explain that arm?"

"Well…I figured I would tell them that I broke it falling out of my sleigh."

Jon laughed. "Good idea."

Ponch shifted his bulking belly and adjusted his belt. He opened his bag and looked at the shining presents.

"Are you ready, partner?" Jon asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ponch sighed, "Let's get this show on the road."

 _Meanwhile…_

Miss Peters was searching the hospital, hoping to find someone willing to play Santa Claus for the kids.

She spotted Bonnie's doctor coming out of her room. "Pardon me, but do you know where I can find a Santa?"

"Funny you should say that, Miss Peters. I believe a fellow named Poncherello is planning to do just that."

"Do you know where I can find him?" asked Miss Peters, excitedly.

The doctor pointed to the storage room at the end of the corridor. Miss Peters ran down to the room and knocked. "Mr. Poncherello? Are you decent?"

Jon opened the door. "Sorry, we had to borrow your storage room so my friend could change his clothes. He's going to be Santa Claus for the kids."

Miss Peters beamed and reached out to shake his hand. "That is so kind of him! Is he ready?"

"As ready as he'll ever be."

Then Ponch came forward wearing the full suit. "I hope I don't live to regret this," he said, prepared to hear giggles as he waddled down the hall.

"God bless you for this, sir!" said Miss Peters, happily.

Ponch followed her to the children's room and took a deep breath before making his grant entrance.

"HO HO HO! Merry Christmas, everybody!" Ponch said in his deepest, jolliest voice.

The three children looked surprised at first, but after a moment, they all smiled and welcomed him in.

Ponch pulled the presents out of the bag and gave one to each of the kids.

Antonio ripped his gift open and produced a big, yellow, stuffed duck. He held it up and examined it. "Mr. Santa, what's this?"

Ponch took the duck and made it dance on Antonio's lap. "What you mean 'what is it'? It's a duck…His name is Quack and he wants to be your friend." Ponch pressed the duck's bill against Antonio's cheek as if to give him a kiss. Antonio then smiled and grabbed the duck, tucking it into bed with him.

Ciara opened her present quickly and pulled out a toy horse with caramel fur and long, flowing, white mane.

"Do you like horses, sweetheart?" asked Ponch.

"Yes, but I never knew any personally," she admitted.

Ponch smiled and patted her head. "Now do you."

Jack was the last to open his gift. He kept turning the box over in his hands and shaking it. Ponch strolled over to him and watched as he tried to guess what was in the box.

"What are you doing, kid?" asked Ponch.

"I'm trying to figure out what my present is," Jack said, pressing his ear to the package as he shook it around.

"What do you _think_ is inside?"

"I don't know…but I hope it's something with chocolate and marshmallows. I haven't had a dessert in weeks."

Jon and Miss Peters stood in the doorway, watching with warm smiles on their faces.

"He's such a dear," Miss Peters whispered.

"He called himself 'cruel' yesterday," Jon whispered, "But it looks like his cruelty has turned to kindness."

Ponch hung around for a long time, chatting with the kids about their presents and their families. Finally, he decided it was time to move on.

"There are more kids to visit," Ponch said to Jon and the nurse. "Let's go see them."

 _Meanwhile…_

Bonnie had woken up and was sitting up in bed, watching the television. After a while, she got bored of that and called a nurse in to turn it off. Then she picked up a magazine and started to read an article. She heard a knock on the door.

"Come in, doctor," she said, without looking up from the page.

Ponch opened the door timidly, clearing his throat. "I'm not exactly a doctor."

Bonnie looked up and saw Santa Claus standing in the doorway. Only she knew immediately that it was Ponch.

She smiled impishly. "Hello…Santa."

Ponch walked up to her bedside and gave her a beautiful bouquet of red poinsettias.

Bonnie blushed as she accepted the flowers. "Why, thank you."

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better now," she said, nodding. "I only had a slight concussion. I was very lucky. I won't be going home for Christmas though."

"Oh," Ponch said, trying not to let his own personality slip out.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Santa? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What happened to your arm? Did you have an accident?"

"Um, yeah…I did actually," Ponch said, clearing his throat. "I was riding in my sleigh when I lost control of my reindeer and fell out."

"I see," Bonnie said, "Well, I hope you make it back home to the North Pole. Christmas is tomorrow."

"Yeah…well, anyway, it was good to see you."

"Same to you," Bonnie said, grinning. "Thanks for the flowers, Santa."

"You're welcome. I'd better go now…" With that, Ponch turned around and started to leave.

"Oh, Santa!" Bonnie called him back. "There's one more thing."

"Yes?"

Bonnie smiled warmly. "Be sure to put Frank Poncherello on the 'nice' list."

Ponch blushed and felt his eyes begin to water. "Okay…okay, Miss Clark."

Then he grabbed his bag and left the room, leaving a happy Bonnie alone with her Christmas bouquet. She buried her face in the sweet, tender flowers and said a prayer of thanks.

The End

 **Note: Well, there you have it…a happy ending. I hope Ponchygirl has enjoyed this final chapter. Merry Christmas!**


End file.
